The ‘Practical Magic’ Sisters Are Both Scorpios, So Why Are They Nothing Alike?

Few fictional sisters feel as cosmically linked as Sally and Gillian Owens in Practical Magic, in both the original and the sequel. The sisters, played by Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, respectively, share blood, magic, a family curse, and according to the Practical Magic universe, an October 31 birthday.Both women are Scorpios, born on Halloween (and is also recognized as the witches’ new year!), which feels almost suspiciously perfect for a story obsessed with sex, death, secrecy, obsession, psychic bonds, and transformations forceful enough to resurrect the dead. And yet, Sally and Gillian embody their Scorpio-ness so differently.For example, Sandra Bullock’s Sally spends much of the original film trying to create safety. She wants the ordinary house, the husband, the children, and a life far enough away from magic that she might outrun the Owens family curse. However, Gillian, played by Nicole Kidman, heads in nearly the opposite direction. She is impulsive, seductive, restless and hungry for experience, leaving home young and pursuing romance with intensity.Their differences come down to their Moon signs, which in astrology, is known for representing our intuition. Sally’s Capricorn Moon gives her the desire to hone her vitality and use it wisely. She’s reflective by nature, speaks with a contemplative, rational tone, and knows she must control her emotions to protect her heart. The Moon conjunct the North Node of Destiny shows that she was fated to break the familial curse and heal generations to come.A look at her other placements explains why she differs from her sister, too. Sally’s Venus is in Sagittarius, Mars is retrograde in Aries, and Jupiter is in Aquarius. At first glance, she is a firecracker. However, when you look at the planets in these signs, you see restrained energy. Venus in Sagittarius yearns to take risks, but Jupiter in Aquarius calms that temperament. It calms the yearning to jump into new situations and relationships by not throwing caution to the wind. Mars retrograde at the anaretic stage, the last degree in the sign, is stifling. This is why Sally wants to experience passion freely and opts to do the opposite. The presence of dreamy Neptune in Sagittarius on Sally’s Venus points to her idealization of love.Gillian was born a year later on the same date, presenting a Scorpio Sun and Taurus Moon. As a mystical Full Moon baby, Gillian is relationship-oriented. We see this in her passion for romance, bouncing from situationship to situationship until she meets James "Jimmy" Angelov, a bag guy to say the least. The Sun-Moon opposition in a birth chart depicts a person who doesn't want to repeat their parents' mistakes, which is how Gillian reacts to the family curse. Rather than fall head over heels and commit, she’d prefer to experience the whimsy and unpredictability of life by leaning into the Taurean lunar sentiments that encourage her to eat, drink, and be merry.Her Venus and Mars in Scorpio, along with Jupiter retrograde in Pisces and Saturn in Cancer, craft a Grand Water Trine, alluding to Gillian’s thrilling lifestyle. Things seem to come easily to her, and people are naturally drawn to her. Since this aspect is in water, home is the only place Gillian can thrive. There, she can be herself without judgment and stay in her comfort zone.Even with all of these differences, Sally and Gillian still have have placements that connect them, like their Saturn in Cancer, Uranus and Pluto in Libra, and Neptune in Sagittarius. These four planets uproot partnerships. Obviously, this fits the premise of the book and film. They hinge and fluctuate between vulnerability and boundaries, a theme that shows up in how they interact with the local community. And most importantly, their only constant is each other; they know how the other feels without saying words, and that is some cosmic practical magic.